


A Rumour That Binds

by Icie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-04 16:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5341214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icie/pseuds/Icie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world when if you hear your soulmate's name, it inks itself across your skin, Yahaba would dearly love to trade his soulmate in for a better model, because Kyoutani Kentarou is nothing like what a soulmate should be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Rumour That Binds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [darkmagicalgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmagicalgirl/gifts).



> i actually started writing this as a oneshot completely separate from hqhols but then i noticed your prompt fit it nicely and thought what the hell. happy holidays and i hope you enjoy this treat!

Yahaba glares at the name on his arm, which is stubbornly refusing to be scrubbed off in this new part of his morning ritual. He'll keep trying to remove it in days to come, even though it's been there a month now and shows no sign of budging. It's marked him ever since someone rattled off the name within his earshot _"Hey, did you hear? Kyoutani Kentarou got held back for killing a guy."_ and it etched itself on his skin. Yahaba is sure there's been a mistake.

"You are _not_ my soulmate," he hisses to the characters.

It works like this: you hear your soulmate's name, see it written down or anything that lets you know they exist and a mark appears on your skin. Nowadays, it's usually the name written, but before literacy was common, it could be a glyph that suggests it or a symbol to connect the two of them.

With populations booming, soulmates finding each other has become rarer and rarer, and while Yahaba had vaguely considered spending some time after high school trying to find his, he knew in his heart that he couldn't be bothered. Soulmate pairs are happier but it can be harder, too, if things start to fall apart. You can't run away from a piece of yourself.

But then the system went and screwed up, because there's no way a guy like Kyoutani is the one who will make Yahaba feel complete.

He gives his skin a final chance to stop lying, rubbing it over with the scrubbing brush. It continues to read 'Kyoutani Kentarou'.

The thing is, Yahaba doesn't know him. He knows _of_ him, which is another thing entirely. Yahaba has seen him around a few times, once at volleyball practice where he'd stormed off like a thunder cloud and then occasionally around school, a blond and black head in the crowd that sets Yahaba's heart pounding.

Ever since he heard Kyoutani's name, he's kept the dark ink on his skin covered. From the occasional question Watari has asked, he's worked out what Yahaba is hiding, but he's too good a friend to ask whose name is etched on his skin.

Today though, Yahaba has decided that he's not going to hide it. The world can know, and finally discover that this system doesn't fucking work. So it's with his sleeves pushed up past his elbows that Yahaba exits his house and sets off to meet Watari at their usual corner where their streets meet.

Watari's reaction to his rolled up sleeves is immediate and delighted. " Can I see?" he asks, smile creating prominent dimples.

Yahaba sighs but sticks his arm out. "It's not what you think," he says, because it's _not_.

"I'll be the judge of that!" Watari chirps and twists so he can see the name. His smile falls.

"Yeah," Yahaba says. That look but worse is how Yahaba felt when he'd seen who his supposed soulmate is.

"It could be a different-" Watari starts but Yahaba shakes his head.

"You know another Kyoutani who got held back for killing someone?"

Watari cringes. "No, but I don't think that rumour is true."

Yahaba rolls his eyes and starts walking towards Aoba Johsai. "That's why I didn't tell you, it's messed up. I mean, there's no way he's my soulmate."

Watari keeps pace beside him, looking contemplative. "Do you really believe that?"

"It can't be right all the time."

Watari deflates further. "I guess not. I know Oikawa-senpai doesn't believe it."

"Right, exactly! And he's sensible when he's not full of bullshit."

*

The rest of Yahaba's day is filled with question after question about the name on his arm, which is about what he expected. He tries to play nice but by the end of it he's about ready to blow his lid and he hasn't even seen Kyoutani anywhere for the guy to confirm what bullshit this is.

Close to the end of the day, Yahaba rolls his sleeve back down, which most people, correctly, take to mean he's closed for questions and doesn't want to hear more sighs about 'I wish I knew _my_ soulmate's name'. He was always quick to correct those comments, letting them know that the system is fucked and the name on his skin is the wrong one, but that didn't stop the wistful gazes.

It's Monday, so there's no practice, much to Yahaba's relief. He's itching for exercise but the bustling volleyball team teasing him to death about being paired with Kyoutani (who is technically still a member of the team) would be too much.

Of course, the universe seems to have taken an interest in Yahaba's life, specifically an interest in making sure it's interest _ing_. Yahaba would like it to stop, because at the gate, seemingly waiting for him, is the owner of the name etched on his skin.

Yahaba halts, unsure of what to say to his not-soulmate.

Kyoutani doesn't seem to know what to say either, only locking eyes with him from under a scowl. Yahaba is pretty sure that's just his normal look, but it's still irritating, and he makes sure his own face is calm and smooth as he looks ever so slightly down at Kyoutani.

"Well?" he eventually asks.

Kyoutani breaks his gaze away and yanks up the arm of his jersey, showing Yahaba's name inked on his skin. "Never heard your name before today."

Yahaba snorts and begins walking. "Sorry, I'm not as famous as you."

Kyoutani looks like he's about to say something for a second but instead he falls into step behind Yahaba, keeping to his shadow and leaving his thoughts in his head.

The silence itches at Yahaba as they continue down the street and onto the next, until Yahaba's options are say something or explode. He chooses to say something. "It's not right, I mean, I don't believe it. How could you be my soulmate, you know?"

Kyoutani grunts, Yahaba doesn't know whether it's actual agreement or just acknowledgement that he spoke.

"No offence, but we're total opposites. The rumour about you killing a guy probably isn't true but you're..." Yahaba tries to find the right adjective but none springs to mind so he settles for a shrug. "We're nothing alike."

"Guess not," Kyoutani says, and they stay silent for the rest of the walk. They don't wave to each other as they part, Kyoutani peels off down another street and Yahaba touches the name on his arm as he watches his back disappear.

*

They avoid each other, more or less, for a year. But all good things come to an end, and an awful lot of them end at the hand of Oikawa Tooru.

Oikawa has lots of different ways he likes to approach problems, and all of them result in fun for him and a nightmare for everyone else. Yahaba thinks it's mostly a profitable nightmare, and the problems get solved, but it always feels vaguely like the mental version of a dislocated joint being popped back into place.

The problem Oikawa wanted to fix was the team's power, which is high but there's always more to be had. He mentioned it at one of the regulars' discussions and no one thought anything of his comment, until Kyoutani stepped through the doors of the gym once again.

Usually, when Yahaba gets mad, he goes cold, his mind goes crisp and clean and the words he wants to say fall out devastating the person he directs them at, whether he should say them or not. Kyoutani makes him go hot instead. He's noticed it when they pass each other in hallways and he discovered himself a second away from snapping at him to watch where he's going. The only thing that stops him from doing just that on those occasions, is the knowledge that what he really wants to do is check to see whether Kyoutani's mark is still as visible as his own.

This time, his temper doesn't hold. Volleyball practice has become his space, he's not a great player but he's improving along with all the others and he can't ignore the fact that he's the pick for captain after Oikawa graduates, even if he denies it when asked, so seeing Kyoutani strolling back in like nothing happened is a punch to the gut. It's like Kyoutani has forgotten the reason they don't acknowledge each other.

"Hey!" Yahaba snaps. "If you're going to show up after all this time, the least you can do is greet us properly!" He doesn't even have Kyoutani's name covered during practice and having it out in the open with Kyoutani right there is a vulnerability he could do without, but he can't keep his jersey on all practice in the summer.

Oikawa steps in before Yahaba can say anything more, he's pleased to see Kyoutani even if no one else is, and Yahaba can hardly overrule the captain, so he steps back and lets practice continue, though he keeps casting glances towards Kyoutani when he thinks he won't be caught.

Kindaichi asks about Kyoutani during their break and Yahaba explains, which is fine until he catches Kindaichi staring at his arm.

"He's your...?" Kindaichi begins but Yahaba cuts him off, ignoring the way his stomach flips.

"It's just a mark, okay? It's the wrong name," he says, hoping that Kindaichi's gullibility will hold for things that are true but sound fake, like it does for everything that Kunimi makes him believe. "That happens sometimes, we're not soulmates." He catches Kyoutani's gaze, Kyoutani breaks away before Yahaba does. "And he's a wuss."

Kindaichi doesn't look entirely like he believes him, but their break is over and it's all they can do to keep up for the rest of practice.

*

Kyoutani becomes a regular fixture at practice. 'The prodigal son returned' Matsukawa calls him, with an amused glance at Yahaba that he wishes he hadn't seen. He's awful, and more than once Yahaba splits off from practice to keep his temper in check after Kyoutani jumps into another player. He takes himself on a run to build stamina even though stamina isn't the skill he needs to work on. He'd mumbled something half-hearted and fake about preparing for the next year when he'll probably be a starter, and while they narrowed their eyes, the coaches had agreed to let him, eyes lingering on his arm a fraction too long.

He always makes it back before the end for Oikawa's ridiculous comments that nonetheless get the team's spirits up and ready for the next practice as well as offering things to work on. Today, Oikawa waves everyone else off but catches Yahaba by his wrist before he can go with them.

Yahaba stiffens. He doesn't like people touching that arm - or the rest of him, really, but particularly there.

"Sorry, sorry, Yahaba. I just thought we should talk," Oikawa says, full of cheer, as he gently releases his grip on Yahaba.

Yahaba swallows and agrees before he can come up with an excuse that would let him leave.

"Now, it seems to me like you're avoiding a certain member of our team." Yahaba opens his mouth but Oikawa cuts in before he can speak. "Don't give me that, I know what's between the two of you and it doesn't mean you have to act like you're not on the same side."

It's a small favour that Oikawa doesn't use the word 'soulmate' outright, but Yahaba's jaw still clenches.

"I'm going to need the two of you to work together," Oikawa says, then continues, "and next year _you_ are going to need the two of you to work together. Which means that you're going to be teaming up next practice."

"No way, we can-" Yahaba begins, but Oikawa talks over him.

"You're going to be quite the powerful combination and I'm not going to let your little problem stop that, Yahaba."

Yahaba gapes. "My little _what_?"

"Problem," Oikawa repeats. "The one printed on your arm there, or I suppose there's the cute one jumping up and down in the court, too. Don't worry, you're not the only one with the wrong mark, anyone can see that me and my darling Iwa-chan are meant to be together and yet," Oikawa gestures at his own empty arm. "My soul isn't with the program."

Watari had said that Oikawa doesn't believe in soulmates, but Yahaba didn't realise he was telling the truth and not just trying to make Yahaba feel better. "Do you really think that there are exceptions and it gets it wrong sometimes, senpai?"

Oikawa hums, which isn't a real answer but Yahaba takes to mean yes. "Just don't be surprised when you have to talk to him tomorrow. I'll be very disappointed if you keep running away," he says and gives Yahaba a grin with no warmth as he waves and leaves the gym.

*

Working with Kyoutani is hell. Yahaba knows most of it is his own doing, so he can't even complain to Watari about it. Besides, Watari is looking scattered and stressed under the greater workload of second year, so Yahaba doesn't want to bother him too much, though he keeps himself together better during practice than Yahaba does.

"Stop jumping wherever you want. This isn't your playground, asshole!" he shouts at Kyoutani. This isn't the first time he's tried to force this point home, and he's sure it won't be the last.

Kyoutani avoids his eyes and Yahaba reflexively grips his own arm, over Kyoutani's name to hide it from view.

"I scored, didn't I?" Kyoutani grumbles.

"With no defenders. If something happens to get you on the court, you're going to be up against six people, and that little move won't cut it."

"You know that?" Kyoutani asks, his scowl running deep.

Yahaba tries to keep his volume under control before Oikawa sends over Iwaizumi to see what the problem is. "Yes, I do. Because I watch official matches, which I don't believe I've ever seen you do."

"Tch, 'spose it's impossible for you to run away from everything," Kyoutani says and pushes past Yahaba towards the changing rooms.

Yahaba stands stock still as he tries to process what the hell Kyoutani meant by that, but he's interrupted before he can by one of the coaches calling him back to work.

*

The next time they really see each other is at the tournament and it's a day Yahaba both wants to preserve forever and shatter into a million pieces.

Until then, Oikawa and the other third years formed their very own 'keep the soulmates from killing each other' club - dubbed such by Matsukawa who, shortly afterwards, received a cicada in his gym clothes. They all make sure the two of them stay as far apart as possible at all times.

He'd approached Matsukawa about it directly, but all he got back was a shrug and a comment about caring about them. Which Yahaba thinks means they really must be as bad for each other as he imagined.

During the match, Kyoutani seems to always be in his sightline, rocking backward and forward, balling his hands into fists and releasing them. Yahaba itches to grip his wrists and tell him to unclench, because Yahaba can't be the only one distracted by the constant movements.

The whistle blows and Kyoutani is put on before Yahaba can do anything about it, tell anyone about how stupid that idea is. Kyoutani isn't a part of the team yet. He doesn't belong and should be kept off until he does. Yahaba barely thinks he belongs himself. He finds his hand gripping Kyoutani's name and releases it, though he leaves indents where his nails were pressing into his skin.

He watches Kyoutani play with all the concentration he possesses, though Kyoutani's bubbling anger is fuelling his own. He keeps himself from yelling while the match continues, even managing to make reasonable comments on what's happening, though his frayed nerves would be obvious to anyone observing him closely.

Kyoutani stays on through most of the second set and into the third. Yahaba doesn’t know how Oikawa and the rest of the team is allowing him to stay because it’s obvious that while Kyoutani is flipping the scoreboard in Aoba Johsai’s favour more and more, his control will break before the match is over. “Kyoutani’s suddenly full of energy whenever he’s in the front row,” Yahaba says to Kunimi. He doesn’t mean it as a good thing. When the tide of the game turns in Karasano’s favour, with the danger of losing their senpais' last match dangling over Yahaba, Kyoutani and their teammates’ heads, Kyoutani's temper gets him pulled off.

Yahaba hears him say "Tch," and then he speaks before he can remember that he was going to keep his mouth shut.

He's talks calmly to Kyoutani, he'd be proud of himself for it, but he can feel his anger bubbling up, and with a shrug after he's said the rational part of his piece, he gives in to his urge to get his hands on Kyoutani and slams him against the nearest wall.

"If you drag the senpais' big moment through the mud, I'll never forgive you!" Fire burns in his throat with the words.

They hold steady for a moment, and Yahaba tries to ignore the way his anger is dropping out of him just from being in contact with Kyoutani. He sees Kyoutani's eyes dart to his own name on Yahaba's arm, and then down to where Yahaba's is printed on his more tanned skin.

"I thought you were a more shallow guy," he says as Yahaba drops him.

Yahaba shrugs. "You're not wrong about that." No one who isn't shallow could have done what he did to his soulmate. "I respect our senpai. On the court, every point gained or lost belongs to the team as a whole." He makes sure Kyoutani can't see his face as he finishes. "Please, lend them your strength."

He feels Kyoutani nod, and settle into his place on the line, more rational than he was when he left the court.

He's sent back on, like everyone watching must have known he would be, and he plays better, so much better. Yahaba yells but for the first time it's in congratulations for a great point. He thinks he catches Kyoutani's eyes flick to him before he's looking back to Oikawa as he says something. Yahaba can't be sure, but he thinks he sees Kyoutani reply to Oikawa, which is another first.

Yahaba gets on the court as well. He was itching for the chance but it’s still a surprise that the coaches hand him the number twelve paddle and tell him he’ll be taking Kindaichi’s place on the next rotation. Kindaichi’s fingers brush against the tips of Yahaba’s as he hands over the paddle and Yahaba thinks Kyoutani might say something along with the transfer, but if he did, Yahaba wasn’t listening or his heart hammering in his ears drowned it out.

He serves with his heart still lodged somewhere under his tongue, thankfully managing to keep his face controlled and breathing steady despite his nerves. He thinks this must be what the others feel like every time they step on the court. This feeling of stepping over that line and having the expectations of the spectators, the coaches and his team settle on his shoulders will exhilarate and terrify him no matter how many times he gets to play.

A messy receive leads to the ball flying over Yahaba’s head, and at Oikawa’s call, he jumps. He tosses the ball to Kyoutani without hesitation. He knows where he is behind him on the court but perhaps it’s that knowledge, or maybe just his nerves, that leads to him fumbling the ball and sending the toss up short.

Kyoutani makes it. Yahaba doesn’t know how, but he does. He leaps up and his hand slams into the ball and faster than a blink it’s bouncing off Karasano’s side of the court.

Yahaba yells. This is what they wanted, this is what they _needed_ , and Kyoutani delivered. He hit his toss and they have a chance here. Yahaba won’t have any regrets from this match, he can’t imagine their senpais will either.

He raises his hands for a high five, and for a second it looks like Kyoutani will turn away, move back to his position for the next point. But he locks eyes with Yahaba and matches his motion, bringing their hands together in a slap.

In the end, their team steps off the court defeated. Yahaba feels like he's turned to stone as their coach talks to them, tells them to grow from this. He might have imagined it, but Yahaba thinks he looked from Yahaba to Kyoutani and back. Kyoutani's name on his skin feels like a brand, Yahaba wonders if his name feels the same on Kyoutani's.

*

They don't see each other for a week after the post match ramen where Kyoutani bolted his food and left before Yahaba could get a word in, but this time it's not out of avoidance. Practice exams are soon and club activities were called to a halt because apparently only people as obsessive as Oikawa can balance getting top marks and going full force in club activities.

When it became obvious how much catching up he had to do (not as much as he'd feared but still more than he's comfortable with) Yahaba called Watari and bundled him into his apartment, then his room, with a cup of tea and all their study materials.

Watari works well as a study partner. They're in different classes but enough of their material overlaps that they can help each other out and just having a second opinion is useful for the rest.

"So, algebra is ridiculous," Yahaba says staring at what are supposed to be solvable problems but that he can't make heads or tails of.

Watari doesn't reply, so Yahaba pokes him under the table. He jerks upright and falls back. There's something not quite right with how he grips his arm as he blurts out, "Sorry, what were you saying?"

Yahaba frowns and moves around to get a better look. "If you've given yourself RSI from studying I'm going to..." Yahaba falls silent when he realises what he's seeing.

Peeking out from between Watari's fingers, is ink on his skin.

"You didn't, uh..." Yahaba starts.

"It's not what you think," Watari says, prompting a moment of deja vu from Yahaba. He's turning pink across his entire head. "It's Oikawa-san. And you know he..."

"Doesn't believe in soulmates," Yahaba finishes for him because from the sound of Watari's voice, he couldn't for himself.

"I just forgot to put the cover on today," Watari says, and swallows. "Every day since the second day of high school and I forget today." He sounds weak and defeated.

They don't get much studying done after that.

*

While Watari remembers to keep Oikawa's name covered now, Yahaba sometimes catches him tracing the kanji on the surface of the near invisible cover. And now that he knows to look, he notices tells from Oikawa as well. Oikawa sends Watari glances when he doesn't think Watari is looking, they linger and always find him immediately, like Oikawa already knew where he was before he moved his eyes. They're the same kind of glance that Yahaba gives Kyoutani.

Yahaba and Kyoutani talk more than shout now and Yahaba makes an effort to say one thing that can't be taken as an insult to him each practice, in an attempt at following Oikawa's instruction to not run away.

Oikawa is in one of his moods today, flitting about the players, offering accurate but irritating words. By the end of practice, Kyoutani's clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration as Oikawa gives his closing words. He dismisses the team with a clap and a declaration that he'll be seeing them again tomorrow.

Yahaba lets out a breath of a laugh. "If Iwaizumi-senpai doesn't bury his body too deep to make it on time," he says under his breath to Kyoutani, because the storm cloud above Iwaizumi's head is almost visible, so Kyoutani must have seen it too. He always seems to know what Iwaizumi's up to.

Before Yahaba knows what's happening, Kyoutani has his previously tense hands in front of his face, smothering a laugh. "He better dump him in the ocean instead."

A smile takes over Yahaba's face without his permission, and it stays there for the rest of the night.

He feels stupid that it took Kyoutani laughing for him to consider that maybe the name on his arm is the right one after all. But he is considering that Kyoutani is his and he is Kyoutani's. And he's rapidly becoming accustomed to the idea, even fond.

But he doesn't know how Kyoutani feels about it.

He figures he owes him an apology, before he does anything else.

*

Kyoutani is up on the roof when Yahaba finds him. He fights down a smile at the sight, because while it's typical delinquent behaviour to hang out up here, Kyoutani has his school work spread out around him, items from his bag placed to keep anything from blowing away and he's tossing out crumbs to the pigeons and sparrows that lurk on the roof, with his head bent over one of his books.

Yahaba peeks at the work he's doing. Kyoutani's handwriting is tidy and even in a way Yahaba would never have expected. Kyoutani's shoulders hunch and his pencil stills.

"What do you want?" he asks, not looking up at Yahaba. If Yahaba didn't hear the words, he'd never have known he spoke.

Yahaba tilts his head absently to try and get a kink out of his neck that's been lurking there too long. "I'm not too sure," he says in a fit of honesty. He takes a chance and pushes some sheets with Kyoutani's metal pencil case on top up so he has space to sit beside him.

Kyoutani eyes him with suspicion, but doesn't attempt to pull away, only returning to writing the rest of his sentence.

Yahaba turns possible things to say over in his mind. He wants to make that apology and now is the perfect time to give it, but he can't put his finger on the words he needs.

Kyoutani finishes his page and closes the book, putting his pencil down beside it. "Just spit it out."

Yahaba bristles. "What _exactly_ am I spitting out?"

Kyoutani snorts, "Whatever's fucking bugging you, obviously."

He shouldn't be surprised Kyoutani can read him like this, but he is. He doesn't have a handle on anything these days. "I'm sorry," he says, before he can change his mind. "I've been an ass to you."

Kyoutani snorts again. "No kidding."

His simple confirmation hits harder than Yahaba thought it would and he sags against his side, head resting on Kyoutani's rounded shoulder. "I'm so fucking sorry," he says to reiterate his point.

Kyoutani stiffens under his weight but he doesn't move.

Yahaba measures out a minute in even breaths, until he has the courage to voice what he knows. "You are my soulmate," he says. His mouth feels dry and his ears are tightening like they do when he's getting a sinus infection or like when he's holding down tears. "And I'm sorry."

Kyoutani looks at him out of the corner of his eye, until he brings an arm up and wraps it around Yahaba's shoulder. It's the most comforting thing in the world.

"S'okay," he says, and all the tension that had been building up in Yahaba's body slips out.

Kyoutani lifts Yahaba's hand up and Yahaba lets him, and he matches their names together as he leans in for a kiss.

Their first kiss isn't perfect, Kyoutani has too many teeth and they can't decide whether to use tongue so spit seems to end up everywhere, but Yahaba figures the second will be better, and then the third will be better than that. He kind of can't wait.


End file.
